Hi all! This week, we wanted to highlight a recipe that some of you may or may not be familiar with. We have affectionately named it Sharon’s Sturdy Cake Recipe!

This a very sturdy cake, dense but not quite a pound cake, tight crumb, and super moist. Not as soft and wet as the WASC. Good for dessert cakes, cupcakes, carving, buttercream or fondant cakes. Makes great cake balls with no binder needed. A great multi purpose recipe.

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (Sharon uses Betty Crocker)

1 small box instant pudding in a coordinating flavor

1 cup sour cream

1 whole large egg

3 large egg whites

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring (optional)

1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)

1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional)

other flavorings as desired

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in mixer at speed one or two, scraping down the sides, until just incorporated. Batter will be very thick. Fill pans just a little over half full.

2. Bake at 325 until center bounces back and toothpick is clean. Be careful not to underbake. The will take longer to bake than an undoctored mix due to the added ingredients.

Here are a few helpful notes about this recipe:

You can create almost any flavor cake with this recipe by starting with that flavored cake mix, a coordinating pudding flavor, and changing the additional flavorings.

White chocolate flavored pudding will keep the batter more white in color, and vanilla will make it more yellow.

Recipe may be doubled.

If you try this recipe, or have tried it let us know in the comments how it worked out for you. Happy Baking!!!

We are back in the swing of things here, and thought we’d start the new year off with some valuable tips! These tips come from members of our online school community. This is just a sample of the wealth of knowledge our members have, so if you are looking for place to learn and grow in your cake life..this is it!!

Lets get to it:

“Isomalt also works great as a glue! Throw on your gloves to protect your fingers from the heat and glue your heavy fondant, gumpaste, or isomalt pieces to your fondant cakes with just a dip into liquid isomalt! It’s clear, dries almost instantly, and melts into the surface of your pieces for optimum strength! It also works great for gluing ribbon onto your boards!”

“For fine royal icing piping, without fear of clogs, cut a small square of clean nylon stocking and stretch over the end of a coupler before placing on the tip. Place on tip and tighten coupler ring. Works like a charm and keeps you from having to squeeze a large amount of royal icing through a clean nylon knee-high to strain it before using.”

– Claudia Butler

“I love the look of veined wafer paper petals/leaves. My tip to achieving this is to dip your leaf or petal into vodka and lay on the veiner chosen. Let dry completely before removing and you will have a beautiful veined petal. I prefer to use veg shortening mixed with colour dusts to colour the petals.”

–Nancy Travis

“Crystal Colors has some really good pearl dusts that are FDA approved. For silver paint, you can mix a touch of black gel color in with their Super Pearl & vodka- works super well! Mixtures of yellow and brown/ivory would give a good gold as well.”

Caulk” the seams between your tiered layers with a bit of buttercream to get a seamless, finished look. Just pipe a small line of buttercream onto the space between tiers and wipe off excess with your finger. It fills the line between tiers and gives you a seamless look! Works best on a chilled cake!

“To prevent luster dust paint from flaking or transferring when touched, mix it with confectioner’s glaze rather than alcohol. The glaze will seal the dust, making the painted item easier to handle with no dust mess.”

“You can put pieces of fondant in the freezer to keep them soft until time to place on cake. I found this hugely helpful when I did my lace covered cake. I was able to make the lace a week in advance (it took a whole week to make over 150 pieces). I stored them in a flat tupperware container with waxed paper between the layers. When it was time to decorate, I took them out a layer at a time. Perfectly soft like I had just made them!”

“Rather than wasting unwanted colored buttercream left over from previous cakes, you can combine them to create chocolate frosting! When you have approximately three cups of an all shortening American type buttercream, simply combine, add ½ cup softened sweet butter, and mix in mixer. Add 9 Tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, (or) 3 oz. melted bittersweet chocolate (or more, if a stronger chocolate flavor is wanted) and mix to a smooth consistency. From scraps to chocolate buttercream!”

“My top tip is for placing pearls and dragees on cakes. I used to do it the traditional way of piping a dot or two of icing where I wanted my pearl and then struggling to attach it before the icing dried out. Unfortunately, it was either dried out, or too much so the icing mushed out around the pearl, or it raised it off the cake more in one spot than in another… and I never liked the look of it!

So – I changed how I did it. Now, I take my piping gel container, spread a thin layer of piping gel on the lid and shake out a few dozen pearls or dragees onto the piping gel. Then I use my hooked nose tweezers and place them quickly and easily where I want them. The gel is clear and so you can’t see it; No need to color it, bag it, or pipe it; No more picking up the bag and then swapping out for the tweezers; The pearl/dragee stays sticky and immediately adheres to my surface whether it’s buttercream or fondant; Best of all – it gives a clean, finished look to the cake!”

– Jody Runyan

“You can make batter ahead and freeze it. Thaw it on the counter or in the microwave (at 50% power) when you are ready to bake. Extra tip: cooler batter domes so for cakes thaw completely but for cupcakes thaw it just to the point it stirs smooth.”

– Cristy Russell

“Want full 2-inch high cakes from your 2-inch cake pans? Grease your pan, then line the sides with strips of parchment paper that extend above the top of the cake pan. (The grease acts as glue for the parchment. Do not use pan grease or Baker’s Joy, as the flour prevents the parchment from sticking to the pan.) If your cakes still don’t reach the top, try adding more batter next time.”

“Did you know you can color cake balls AFTER they’re baked? Here’s how: crumble the cake crumbs in the food processor. Add a bit of buttercream and combine. You should have dense crumbs that will stick together, sufficient for making cake pops or cake balls. Using a toothpick, add a bit of gel food color to the crumbs, and pulse in the food processor. Repeat / adjust the color until you’ve achieved the intensity you’re aiming for. Roll into balls and proceed with your project!”

To make an easy pound cake perfect for carving, combine one box of Betty Crocker pound cake mix and one box of Duncan Hines cake mix in the flavor of your choice. Prepare both per directions on the boxes and combine. To create a chocolate pound cake, use one box of DH dark fudge with one box BC pound cake.”

When using a paper template as a guide for cutting out fondant or gumpaste, reverse the image and attach the template to the gumpaste with a little shortening. This will prevent the template from shifting while you cut around it. The image is reversed so the shortening is on the back of the cut-out and won’t interfere with the coloring on the front.”

“Plastic molds are perfect for achieving a beautiful shine on your chocolates, but scrubbing them with soap can take away that nice smooth surface! Make sure to only soak your plastic chocolate molds in warm water, only using a damp paper towel to wipe them out if needed.”

“Need extra flower formers? Use your existing flower former as a mold for heavy duty foil. You can make as many extra formers as you need out of foil. If your gumpaste pieces are heavy, just double or triple the foil.”

Note: I am not financially affiliated with this vendor and I get no commission for sales through these links. I just like to bring you news about products and services that I believe are of high quality and value.

Hi all! Today I want to share with you the best crusting cream cheese icing I have tried. Credit goes to the very talented Kathy Finholt of Kathy’s Kakes. She has been kind enough to freely share this recipe over the years. (But if you pass it along, please give her proper credit.)

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening (hi ratio is best)

16 oz. cream cheese

3 lbs powdered sugar

1 TBSP. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix on low speed for a couple of minutes. This makes a fairly stiff icing if you use 3-1/2 lb powdered sugar, a softer one you if use 3 lbs of powdered sugar. Freezes well.

Sharon’s Note:
** This is a crusting icing, but please note that all cream cheese icings are softer and less durable than American buttercream. I do not recommend using it under fondant, or for any other purposes where a sturdy icing is needed.

Hi All! This week we are here with some great advice from our online school members! One of the amazing things about being apart of our cake community is you have the benefit of learning from experts and novices alike! Here are a few great tips from members of the SugarEd community:

Isomalt also works great as a glue! Throw on your gloves to protect your fingers from the heat and glue your heavy fondant, gumpaste, or isomalt pieces to your fondant cakes with just a dip into liquid isomalt! It’s clear, dries almost instantly, and melts into the surface of your pieces for optimum strength! It also works great for gluing ribbon onto your boards!”

“For fine royal icing piping, without fear of clogs, cut a small square of clean nylon stocking and stretch over the end of a coupler before placing on the tip. Place on tip and tighten coupler ring. Works like a charm and keeps you from having to squeeze a large amount of royal icing through a clean nylon knee-high to strain it before using.”

– Claudia Butler

“I love the look of veined wafer paper petals/leaves. My tip to achieving this is to dip your leaf or petal into vodka and lay on the veiner chosen. Let dry completely before removing and you will have a beautiful veined petal. I prefer to use veg shortening mixed with colour dusts to colour the petals.”

– Nancy Travis

“Crystal Colors has some really good pearl dusts that are FDA approved. For silver paint, you can mix a touch of black gel color in with their Super Pearl & vodka- works super well! Mixtures of yellow and brown/ivory would give a good gold as well.”

“Caulk” the seams between your tiered layers with a bit of buttercream to get a seamless, finished look. Just pipe a small line of buttercream onto the space between tiers and wipe off excess with your finger. It fills the line between tiers and gives you a seamless look! Works best on a chilled cake!

“To prevent luster dust paint from flaking or transferring when touched, mix it with confectioner’s glaze rather than alcohol. The glaze will seal the dust, making the painted item easier to handle with no dust mess.”

“You can put pieces of fondant in the freezer to keep them soft until time to place on cake. I found this hugely helpful when I did my lace covered cake. I was able to make the lace a week in advance (it took a whole week to make over 150 pieces). I stored them in a flat tupperware container with waxed paper between the layers. When it was time to decorate, I took them out a layer at a time. Perfectly soft like I had just made them!”

“Rather than wasting unwanted colored buttercream left over from previous cakes, you can combine them to create chocolate frosting! When you have approximately three cups of an all shortening American type buttercream, simply combine, add ½ cup softened sweet butter, and mix in mixer. Add 9 Tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, (or) 3 oz. melted bittersweet chocolate (or more, if a stronger chocolate flavor is wanted) and mix to a smooth consistency. From scraps to chocolate buttercream!”

“My top tip is for placing pearls and dragees on cakes. I used to do it the traditional way of piping a dot or two of icing where I wanted my pearl and then struggling to attach it before the icing dried out. Unfortunately, it was either dried out, or too much so the icing mushed out around the pearl, or it raised it off the cake more in one spot than in another… and I never liked the look of it!

So – I changed how I did it. Now, I take my piping gel container, spread a thin layer of piping gel on the lid and shake out a few dozen pearls or dragees onto the piping gel. Then I use my hooked nose tweezers and place them quickly and easily where I want them. The gel is clear and so you can’t see it; No need to color it, bag it, or pipe it; No more picking up the bag and then swapping out for the tweezers; The pearl/dragee stays sticky and immediately adheres to my surface whether it’s buttercream or fondant; Best of all – it gives a clean, finished look to the cake!”

– Jody Runyan

“You can make batter ahead and freeze it. Thaw it on the counter or in the microwave (at 50% power) when you are ready to bake. Extra tip: cooler batter domes so for cakes thaw completely but for cupcakes thaw it just to the point it stirs smooth.”

– Cristy Russell

“Want full 2-inch high cakes from your 2-inch cake pans? Grease your pan, then line the sides with strips of parchment paper that extend above the top of the cake pan. (The grease acts as glue for the parchment. Do not use pan grease or Baker’s Joy, as the flour prevents the parchment from sticking to the pan.) If your cakes still don’t reach the top, try adding more batter next time.”

“Did you know you can color cake balls AFTER they’re baked? Here’s how: crumble the cake crumbs in the food processor. Add a bit of buttercream and combine. You should have dense crumbs that will stick together, sufficient for making cake pops or cake balls. Using a toothpick, add a bit of gel food color to the crumbs, and pulse in the food processor. Repeat / adjust the color until you’ve achieved the intensity you’re aiming for. Roll into balls and proceed with your project!”

“To make an easy pound cake perfect for carving, combine one box of Betty Crocker pound cake mix and one box of Duncan Hines cake mix in the flavor of your choice. Prepare both per directions on the boxes and combine. To create a chocolate pound cake, use one box of DH dark fudge with one box BC pound cake.”

“When using a paper template as a guide for cutting out fondant or gumpaste, reverse the image and attach the template to the gumpaste with a little shortening. This will prevent the template from shifting while you cut around it. The image is reversed so the shortening is on the back of the cut-out and won’t interfere with the coloring on the front.”

“Plastic molds are perfect for achieving a beautiful shine on your chocolates, but scrubbing them with soap can take away that nice smooth surface! Make sure to only soak your plastic chocolate molds in warm water, only using a damp paper towel to wipe them out if needed.”

“Need extra flower formers? Use your existing flower former as a mold for heavy duty foil. You can make as many extra formers as you need out of foil. If your gumpaste pieces are heavy, just double or triple the foil.”

Did you make any caking resolutions for the new year? If so, I’d love to hear them.

Mine is to try to be neater when I work

One of my messiest jobs is when I make my American Buttercream. Powdered sugar everywhere! (You too?)

But sometimes I don’t want to use ABC; I want a lighter meringue-like buttercream. And when my lazy bone flares up, I don’t feel like going through the long process of making Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue.

That’s when Hybrid Buttercream (HB) comes to the rescue!

I call it a hybrid because it’s a cross between a meringue and American buttercream.

It’s really the best of both worlds…

You get the light, fluffy, buttery taste and texture of the meringue type, but it’s much easier and faster to make.

No cooking!

No sugar syrup!

No hassles!

No grit!

And it’s even a bit more stable due to the little bit of shortening and powdered sugar in it.

I’ve got a FREE VIDEO for you this week on how I make my Hybrid Icing. I’ll show you step by step how to make it to get the best results.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. And now that means we are in full on holiday season mode.

A wonderful time of year most of us love, but it comes with it’s own level of stress, right?

Too much to do and not enough time?

And as perfectionists and artists, we worry about doing everything perfectly for everyone.

Sound about right?

We try to be the best we can be at our craft, but sometimes we put undue stress on ourselves in the process.

Especially during the holidays. Which got me thinking back…

In my previous life, when caking was still a passionate hobby, (but before it became my full time business), I was a Registered Nurse. A job that carries a lot of responsibility (and pressure) – which I took very seriously.

I have always been a perfectionist, always trying to do better, be better; reach that brass ring that really is unattainable.

So I spent a lot of my nursing career (and my life) kind of beating myself up for not being perfect.

Then one day in the lunch room, I noticed that the management had put up a poster next to the table.

“Strive for excellence not perfection.”

Wow, I can honestly say it was one of those life moments that just hit me over the head like a loaded piping bag. “The powers that be” had given me permission to be imperfect. Had told me that being very good was good enough. That trying to always improve was an honorable goal, but it’s OK to not be flawless

That day really was a turning point for me. I have carried that message in my mind and heart ever since, and applied it to all areas of my life: parenting, being a wife, friend…

…….and caking.

I always strive to do my best in my decorating and teaching. I always try to learn more and improve my skills. But I no longer beat myself up if each cake is not perfect, because perfection in cakes, as in life, is simply not possible.

I now embrace the fact that cakes have backs for a reason

We are always our own worst critics, and sometimes that strips the joy out of the hobby we love. And I don’t want that for you.

Therefore, I give you permission to not be a perfect cake decorator.

Strive for excellence – not perfection. Love your work at the level it is today. Welcome the joy it brings to other people in all its imperfect glory.

And have fun. Cuz that’s really what it is all about.

Especially during the holidays — cut yourself some slack.

If all your cakes, cookies and other goodies don’t come out as perfect as you hoped for, it’s OK. They are still wonderful and the recipients will love them.